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PEN America Welcomes NY Corrections Department Decision to Rescind “Unjustifiable” Proposal to Limit Free Expression for Incarcerated Writers
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Any effort to crush the right of incarcerated people to express themselves, and in particular, to limit literacy and… More
Decision Not to Renew Lone US History Professor’s Contract at New College of Florida— in Effect, Firing Him— Is “An Affront to Academic Freedom,” Says PEN America
Jeremy C. Young, Freedom to Learn program director at PEN America, released the following statement: “The effective firing of Erik Wallenberg, after his job was threatened publicly by a trustee… More
PEN America Opposes New York State Proposal Limiting Incarcerated Writers Ability to Publish
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Directive 4406 would essentially freeze PEN America’s ability to publish incarcerated New Yorker’s work, alongside that of similar organizations.… More
“Unjustified” Mass Arrests at Hong Kong Gathering for Tiananmen Square Massacre Anniversary
“Hong Kong authorities demonstrated on June 4 they are in lock step with Beijing in attempting to erase the memory of the Chinese Communist Party’s massacre of peaceful pro-democracy… More
Readings by Noted Authors Headline 6/6 Florida Event Celebrating Books Challenged in Miami-Dade County Schools, including The Hill We Climb by Poet Amanda Gorman
Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America’s Free Expression and Education program, said: "The fact that a bogus challenge from a single individual can get books banned goes to the… More
PEN America Responds to Florida School District’s Offer to Remove LGBTQ Pages from Yearbook
"The campaign to erase LGBTQ+ identities in schools continues to reach new lows. What kind of message does it send to LGBTQ+ students and families that a superintendent would… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Grace E. Lavery
My work is to try to understand the methods of self-knowing and self-becoming that trans people have used for a century and a half. More
PEN America Decries Continued Imprisonment of Poet Galal El-Behairy, Who is Prepared to Escalate his Hunger Strike by Refusing Water
“Five years of arbitrary detention for nothing other than writing poetry and song lyrics has brought Galal El-Behairy to a point where his life is potentially in critical danger,… More
PEN America Defends as Protected Speech a City University of New York Law Student’s Commencement Criticism of Israel and New York Police
In response, Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America, released the following statement: “Lawmakers have absolutely no right to threaten University funding based on speech… More
Unsealed: An Open Letter from No More Victims Road
In this open letter, Antwann Lamont Johnson, Sr. considers if the Department of Corrections actually contributes to harm reduction. More